


Holding Out for a Hero

by ShadoKat771



Series: Old Friends, New Love [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, a touch of romance, there's a cat involved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-14 14:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13592457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadoKat771/pseuds/ShadoKat771
Summary: During a mission to protect an asset's daughter an old flame is rekindled.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by "Holding Out for a Hero" sung by Bonnie Tyler ...among other things.

 

The mood in the war room at the Phoenix Foundation was relaxed, until Director Matty Webber walked into the room. Then all focus was on her petite, formidable frame. “Listen up”, she said, “one of our operatives has gone dark,and needs our help”.  
“Where are we headed?” Angus “Mac” MacGyver asked, reaching into a bowl of large paperclips and pulling out a couple to shape as they talked.  
“Paris? Milan?” Jack Dalton asked, then shuddered, “Cairo?”  
“Santa Barbara”, Matty replied. “We've had chatter that her daughter has become a target to use as leverage to pull her out of the dark”. She pressed a button and the wall behind her came to life with a photograph of a California drivers liscense and other information.  
“The Professor?” Bozer asked, confused. He exchanged a quick glance with MacGyver.  
“She's not a professor, Bozer”, Matty continued, slightly irritated. “But she is currently teaching a class in Popular Culture at Santa Barbara City College.”  
“Why did you call her Professor?” Riley asked.  
“Because Boze and I went to high school with her”, MacGyver said, his voice unusually quiet.”She's very intelligent”.  
“Kaitlyn MacGonagall needs to be picked up and brought in for protective custody until her mother is found”, Matty said. “ Jack, MacGyver, I'm sending you two to get her”. She looked pointedly at MacGyver. “Everything ok, there, Blondie? You don't seem your usual sunshiney self”.  
That seemed to snap the blond man into the present. “What? Yeah, I'm fine”.  
“Good”, Matty said, “because you two are taking the plane because time is critical, and the traffic on the 101 is atrocious right now. Wheels up in 10”.  
The two men nodded, and as they left the room, MacGyver dropped the paperclip sculpture on the table. It was in the shape of a broken heart.

 

“You are _not_ fine”, Jack said as he took a seat on the plane directly across from MacGyver. “You are nowhere near fine. I haven't seen you this rattled in...ever. You're not going anywhere for a little bit, so talk to me, bro”.  
“We're flying to Santa Barbara”, MacGyver said in a weak attempt at humor. His smile faded, then grew slightly again as he looked out the window watching the plane taxi down the runway. He sighed.“I was the science geek and she was the theater nerd”, he said finally. “We sat next to each other in a lot of classes because of our names, and wound up in the same group of friends, She got the nickname of Professor because she's really intelligent”, he paused, chuckling. “And her last name”.  
Jack smiled. “She wasn't just a friend, though, was she?” He asked.  
The blond man's smile became almost bashful. “No”, he replied. “She wasn't”. He shifted in his seat. “I had a crush on her”, he said. “Every time she was in a play, I'd be there. I was Third row center when she played Titania in _Midsummer Night's Dream_. She'd show up to any Science Fair we had, too”. His smile faded and he looked out the window for a few moments.  
Jack said nothing to prompt him to continue, because he knew his friend was working through something painful.  
“I had finally worked my courage up to ask her out”, MacGyver said, his voice soft, still looking out the window at the blue sky around them. “But when I got to class that morning, she was gone. No trace, nothing. Her locker had been cleared out, and when Bozer and I drove by her house after school, it was empty, with a For Sale sign”. When he looked back at Jack, his blue eyes glittered. “I never got to say goodbye”.

“Well”, Jack said in an encouraging voice, “I think we now have a good idea why that happened. Mom's a spy. They probably had to bug out in a hurry”. He glanced out the window. “Looks like we're getting ready to land. The day's looking up, bro”.

“I'm telling you, Mac”, Jack said as he drove the SUV through the streets of Santa Barbara. “It's not too late to try and get back together with her. Look at me and Diane”.  
“It's been a long time”, MacGyver said from the passenger seat. “People can change over the years”.  
“I'm just saying”, the older man continued, “keep an open mind”. He pulled the vehicle into the drive way of a small townhome and the two men got out.  
It was a neat home, painted in shades of dusty green and grey, with a stone dragon holding a cauldron of brightly colored flowers on the steps up to the door.  
“Maybe she hasn't changed that much”, MacGyver said quietly, grinning, as they reached the door. “Maybe she's--”. He stopped as Jack had rung the doorbell and the door had opened, revealing a short woman with long strawberry blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. She wore jeans and a blue t-shirt that had “I (heart) Weegies” in white lettering on the front. In her bare feet, she came up to his shoulder.  
_Beautiful_.  
Her expression was pleasantly shocked. “Mac?”She asked. “Of all people, what are _you_ doing here?”  
As heaven was his witness, MacGyver couldn't answer. He forgot English, and he wasn't even sure if he tried to speak , any coherent sounds would come out.


	2. Chapter 2

Since it was apparent to him that Mac had lost his tongue—and apparently, his wits-- Jack took it on himself to take charge. “Ma'am”, he said, “are you Kaitlyn MacGonagall?”  
The woman nodded. “I am”, she replied. “Please, come inside. I don't like to keep the door open for too long”.  
They entered a cozy living room decorated in various movie posters and plants. Across the mantel of a fireplace were hung show ribbons in blue, black, and brown. An 8x10 photo of a very fluffy orange and white cat had a place of honor on top of the mantel, a purple ribbon hanging off a top corner.  
“We're here because of—”Jack began.  
“--Of mother”, Kaitlyn finished. “Is she dead or alive?”  
“Alive, we hope”, Jack finished. “But we don't know what kind of situation she's in. They've lost contact with her”.  
“I get the idea, Oda Mae”, she said. “You guys need to take me into Protective Custody so the bad guys can't use me as leverage to smoke her out”. She gave them a once over look. “You're not anal retentive enough looking”, she continued, “so you're not Company men. You're not wearing FBI gear, so you're not them. So, are you from another clandestine organization, or are you just independent contractors?”  
Jack blinked and looked at Mac, who was grinning. “Uh”, he began, “another organization that works with your mom. But what's important now is getting you out of here. Now”. He moved to open the door.  
“I'm not leaving without Angus”, Kaitlyn said flatly.  
That seemed to snap Mac to reality. “I'll be right with you”, he said. “Don't worry”.  
To their surprise, she blushed a little before saying, “not you. My cat”  
“We don't have time to take your pet with you”, Jack said, “we've got to go now”.  
Kaitlyn marched over to stand in front of the taller man, her teal eyes blazing. “Look, Worf, you crazy Stormtrooper”, she began, “I am _not_ going to leave my best friend of four years behind for some evil Orcs to manhandle!”  
“She's right, Jack”, Riley said via his earpiece, “That cat is worth more than a month's take home pay. Elessar'Telcontar's Angus Skywalker is a multi-time winner of a _lot_ of cat shows, including a Best Champion. Best in Breed, Best in Color, and a whole other alphabet of stuff. His stud fees are through the roof”.  
“Long story short”, Matty cut in, “you're taking the cat with you”.  
Jack looked down at the woman, then over at Mac, who was trying without success to hide his laughter. “You can't just mix _Star Trek_ and _Star Wars_!” He blurted out.  
Kaitlyn ignored his outburst and took a step back. “Angus!” She called out in a different tone.”Carrier! Now!”  
There were two thumps heard in the kitchen and a distinct “Mrow”, then a large, fluffy orange striped and white cat strode into the room and hopped into a large, mesh sided carrier.  
“Good boy”, Kaitlyn said, giving the cat a scratch between his ears, then zipping up the top of the carrier. She then stood up and slipped on a pair of rubber-soled flats and walked over to a coffee table, picked up her laptop and its power cord, and her phone, then put them in a daypack. “Well, don't just stand there, guys”, she said, “grab our go bags and help!”  
“The cat has a go bag?” Jack asked incredulously.  
“Think about where you are, Jack”, Matty said in his ear. “They just had some very bad fires in that area last year, plus it's earthquake country. Grab a bag and _go_!”  
“Alright, alright”, Jack said, shaking his head and grabbing a duffle bag. “We're going”.  
Kaitlyn looked puzzled for a second, then turned to Mac. “Earpieces?” She asked. At his answering nod, she said, “tell Overwatch I say hi”. She slung her backpack over one shoulder and picked up the carrier, leaving MacGyver to pick up the other duffle. “Let's go”.  
“Great”, Jack muttered as they left the townhome, “we're rescuing a redheaded Princess Leia”.  
“I heard that”, Kaitlyn fired back. “Thanks for the compliment”.

A short time later, they were in the SUV and making their way back to the freeway to head south. Kaitlyn and her cat were safely in the back seat, and Jack was back to driving.  
“I've got to ask”, Jack said, trying to start a conversation, “what in the world is a Weige?”  
“Norwegian Forest Cat”, Kaitlyn replied. “It's a popular nickname for them”.  
“Well, he seems to be travelling well”, MacGyver said. “We haven't heard a sound out of him since we got in the car”.  
“He's used to travelling”, she said. “He's been to several out of state shows, and he's going to his first International show next month”. She turned and looked at the traffic behind them. “Is it just me or is that blue sedan--” she began.  
_Ping_!  
“Gunfire!?” Jack yelled as he stepped on the gas.  
“They're shooting at us?”Kaitlyn yelped at the same moment.  
“Get down and don't panic”, MacGyver said, twisting so he could see who was pursuing them better.  
Kaitlyn ducked down in her seat, shouting, “what do you suggest I do instead?!”  
“Saying a prayer or two might help!” Jack replied. “Matty! We need some backup here!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're liking it so far! Thanks for commenting and leaving Kudos. We're just getting started.


	3. Chapter 3

“We're on it, Jack”, Matty's voice came through his and MacGyver's earpieces. “I've got both Santa Barbara PD and the Highway Patrol on their way”.  
“Just one problem”, Riley chimed in, “they've got everything south of you blocked off. You're going to have to turn around”.  
“And go north instead of south?” MacGyver asked.  
“Yes”, Matty replied. “We're trying to find someplace for you to hide until we can figure out what's going on”.  
“ _Fear is the mind killer_....”  
Jack glanced in the rearview mirror, then over at MacGyver. “Is she quoting _Dune_?” He asked incredulously.  
MacGyver turned and looked in the back seat. Kaitlyn was lying on her side, eyes tightly closed, hanging on to the cat carrier. “... _And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. Fear is the mind killer....”_  
He smiled, then turned back to face Jack. “Yes”, he said, “she is”.  
“Guys”, Riley spoke again, “we found you a place to hide out in for a while. Jack, take the next left, and swing east. The Foundation has a property in the foothills. There's a small cabin on it”.  
“Ok, head for the hills”, Jack said as he turned the wheel, “got it”.

 

An hour later, the SUV pulled up in front of a small cabin in a patch of woods. It looked neat and well-maintained, but deserted.  
“Stay here, Princess”, Jack said, as he and MacGyver got out,“until me and Mac make sure everything's safe inside”.  
There was the sound of a growl from the back seat, and he couldn't tell if it was the cat or Kaitlyn.  
A short time later, they came back, and Mac knocked on the back window. “It's safe”, he said, opening the back door and helping Kaitlyn out. She in turn grabbed the cat carrier and followed them into the cabin.  
It was cozy and clean, with an open beamed ceiling and wood walls, with a stone fireplace along one wall. Off to the right was a small bathroom and ahead was a bedroom, with a kitchenette to the left.  
“I put your duffles in the bedroom”, Jack said as he came out of that room and went to the kitchen, checking out the refrigerator and cupboards. “Not much here in Mother Hubbard's cupboard”, he continued, “and I think I saw a grocery store back down the hill, so I'm going to make a quick supply run”. He looked at Mac. “You two kids should be ok for an hour or so”.  
Mac nodded. “I'm going to go back outside and see if I can fortify our position a little more”, he said, then looked at Kaitlyn, “and give you two some time to settle in”.  
The redhead slipped her backpack off her free shoulder and set it down by a comfortable looking chair, then set the carrier down, “Thanks”, she said. “This place looks comfy enough”.  
When MacGyver re-entered the cabin sometime later, he was confronted with an amusing sight.  
Kaitlyn was standing beside the couch, looking up at a beam that crossed the room. “Come on, Angus”, she was saying, “come back down. They made that fire to help take the chill off the room. We're not in danger now. You've got to know that somewhere in your fuzzy little brain”. She sighed. “I know it's warmer up there, and it's comfy, but mama needs a hug right now”.  
MacGyver felt a tug at his heart as he smiled, then reached up and took his earbud out and slipped it into the pocket of his leather jacket, then took his jacket off and hung it up on a peg beside the door. He stepped further into the room and asked, “is there anything I can do to help?”  
Kaitlyn jumped, startled, then smiled sheepishly. “No”, she replied. “He gets like this when he's spooked by something”. She looked back up at the orange cat and sighed again, her smile fading. “When the fires happened last year”, she continued, “we had to evacuate. _Twice._ We were in the first place for less than an hour when they told us the wind had shifted and we were in danger again. There were a lot of kids in the second shelter, and he was a trooper, letting them pet him and get a quick cuddle”. Her smile came back a little. “I'm thinking of registering him as a therapy animal when he retires”, she said. “But when we got back home, he slept on top of the refrigerator for a week”.  
MacGyver chuckled, then his smile softened. “Well”, he said, “since my namesake isn't co-operating. Would I make a good substitute?' She nodded, and he closed the distance between them and put his arms around her. It was then he realized how badly she was shaking. “Hey”, he said quietly, “it's ok. You're safe now. Nobody's going to hurt you”.  
“I know”, she said from against his chest. “I'm just not used to being shot at”.  
“Neither am I”, he replied with a dry chuckle. “And for the record, it hurts like hell”.  
Her head snapped back as she looked at him in shock. “You've been shot!?”She asked.  
He nodded, still smiling. “It was a while ago”, he said. “Through and through to my left shoulder. A bad guy was saving me from an even _worse_ bad guy”. He shook his head, “and I know that doesn't make any sense, but the point is, yes, being shot at is scary”. He was glad he hadn't mentioned that it had been the _second_ time he had been shot. He felt her relax and rest her head back on his chest. She had stopped trembling, and he felt as if someone was watching them. He looked up and saw the cat looking down at them from his perch. If anyone asked, he would deny it, but he could have sworn it slowly winked one yellow-green eye at him.  
They were silent for a few moments, then he asked quietly, “so, why _did_ you name your cat after me?”  
She raised her head and looked at him.”You really haven't figured that out?”She asked in return.”You're slipping, Mac”, she teased.  
He smiled down at her. She looked so beautiful in that light. He bent his head slowly towards her face, and his lips began to lightly brush hers--  
At that moment, Jack walked through the door, gun drawn, glancing frantically around the room.  
MacGyver gave him a _what the hell_ look, and he put away his gun. “They're ok”, he said quietly.”Mac just took out his earpiece”.  
“Hello again, Captian Cargo Pants”, Kaitlyn said from against MacGyver's chest. She pulled away from him and turned to face Jack. “He was just helping me with Angus”.  
“Uh huh”, the older man said. He pointed at MacGyver. “Just for scaring me half to death, you get to help me with the groceries. Come on”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and encouragement! I really appreciate them.


	4. Chapter 4

“What were you thinking, Mac?” Jack asked as the two men grabbed bags of groceries out of the back of the SUV. “We were thinking something had gone wrong when we couldn't reach you”

MacGyver shrugged as he grabbed a bag. “She's going through a rough time right now”, he replied. “I don't think she'd want everyone to know how scared she is ”.

“Well”, the older man said, “she's probably never been shot at, so I can understand that part”.

“It's not just that”, MacGyver continued. “She was pretty close to those fires that were near here a while back”.

Jack stopped what he was doing and looked at him. “She had to evacuate?” He asked.

“Twice”, the blond man replied. “And she was scared the whole time. You could see it in her face”.

“And we lit a fire in the fireplace”, Jack said, starting to feel guilty. He grabbed the last bag and kicked the door shut.

They found Kaitlyn in the kitchen area, going through the cupboard that served as a pantry. She watched as the men put the bags on the counter in front of her and nodded as each item was taken out and put away. “I got all the food groups covered”, Jack said as they worked.

“Good”, Kaitlyn said. “I can work with this”. At their looks, she said, “I'm cooking dinner, no arguments. My way of saying thank you for getting us out of harm's way”. She took out two medium sized knives and handed one to each of them. “That's not to say I'm not going to put you to work”, she continued. “You can help get the salad going, and chop up some fixings for these steaks”.

A short time later, the area was filled with the scent of frying steaks, spices and lively conversation. “Listen”, Jack said during a lull, “I want to apologize for busting in earlier”.

“Ah, don't worry about it”, Kaitlyn said, dishing up plates. “I figured there was a logical explanation for it”. She looked past them into the living room and up at the beam where Angus still perched. “Still not going to join us, eh?” She was answered by a twitch of a fluffy tail. “Your loss, then”.

“Is he going to stay up there all night?” MacGyver asked, taking his plate.

“Probably”, Kaitlyn replied. “He'll come down when he's hungry”. She gestured behind her. “I've got a bowl of kibble and some water down for when he does”.

“What about his, ah”, Jack said, “facilities?”

She giggled. “That's in the bathroom”, she said. At their looks, she said, “well, where else should it be?”

“How did you get him, anyway?” Jack asked.

Her smile dimmed a little and she sighed. “He was a peace offering from Mother”, she answered. “One of many”. She sat her plate on the counter and glanced at MacGyver before she continued. “We had our biggest fight when she pulled me out of high school”, she said finally. “We almost came to blows”, she gave a wry chuckle. “I think that was when she started to regret she had put me in so many different martial arts classes. As it was, I didn't speak to her for several months” She took several bites of her food before she spoke again. “She eventually got me to talk again”, she continued, “but nothing that wasn't superficial, day to day, necessary talk. So, after I moved out, she tried plying me with gifts. Angus was the most recent, and he's almost four years old now”.

There was silence as the group began to eat their dinner. After a few moments, Jack put down his fork. “That is the best steak I've had in a while”, he said.

MacGyver nodded in agreement. “You're a very good cook”, he said.

“Well, I _did_ have help”, Kaitlyn said.

After cleanup had finished, Kaitlyn stifled a yawn. “No offense guys”, she said afterward, “it's fun, but I was in the middle of a long day when you showed up, and if I don't get some sleep now, I'm going to collapse right here in the kitchen”.

“Go”, MacGyver said, “we can finish up here”.

She smiled and disappeared into the bedroom.

Jack watched her leave, then turned to MacGyver, frowning. “Mac”, he said quietly, “what are you doing? Go say good night to the lady!”

“Not while she may be dressing!”MacGyver replied in kind. “I do have _some_ scruples!”

“Then give her a couple of minutes and go knock on the door”, Jack continued, calmer. “And just so you know, _I'm_ taking the couch”.

MacGyver huffed and gave him a look, then said, “fine”. He waited a few moments and then went and knocked quietly on the bedroom door.

Kaitlyn answered the door, wearing an oversized dark blue t-shirt that had “COEXIST” spelled out in various science-fiction and fantasy icons and grey sweat shorts, her hair in a single braid down her back.“Yes?” She asked.

“I, uh,I just wanted to say goodnight, “MacGyver replied,” and ask if I could sleep on the floor in your room”.

“Of course you can”, she said, taking his hand and starting to pull him into the room, “but you don't have to--”

“YEOWCH!”

Jack's yelp caused both MacGyver and Kaitlyn to rush into the living room. There they saw Jack sitting up on the couch and bent over, groaning.

“What happened?” MacGyver asked.

Jack looked up at them, then took a breath before he spoke. “I laid down on the couch”, he answered, “and pulled the blanket over me. I had just slipped off to Dreamland when I heard a thump, then that 40 pound Tribble landed right on my goodie basket!”

“Oh no”, Kaitlyn said, concerned. “Do you want me to get you some ice?” She glared at MacGyver, who was trying in vain to keep from laughing. “For the record, though, Angus is well within breed standard in weight. He's a svelte 17 pounds. But still”, she turned towards the kitchen, where the cat had just emerged and was sitting calmly and washing his face with one paw. “Angus Skywalker MacGonagall”, she said in a perfect mom tone,” you get your fuzzy britches over here right now”. The cat continued to wash his face. “Angus”, she drew the name out to two syllables, “ _now_ ”. He finally sauntered over to her and she scooped him up into his arms like he was a small child, then turned so he faced Jack. “You hurt our friend”, she said, “so you apologize to Jack right now”.

To the men's surprise, Angus gave a quiet, “meow”. Without thinking, Jack said, “apology accepted”, then blinked.

“Thank you”, Kaitlyn said. “Well, buddy, you've lost your beam privilges for the night, so you're coming into the bedroom. Maybe I'll let you sleep on my pillow”. She turned back to the other two. “Goodnight”, she said, then carried the cat into the bedroom.

“Go after her, Mac”, Jack said in a low voice. “She's open to a second chance. She can cook”, he shook his head, “hell, she just got me to accept an _apology_ _from a cat_. She's special.”.

“What are you trying to say?” MacGyver replied in kind.

“I'm trying to say”, Jack continued, “don't overthink it.”, he tilted his head towards the still open door. “That door's not going to stay open forever. Just go with the flow”.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has commented, left Kudos and just supported so far! Stay tuned...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part's extra short...for a reason.

MacGyver walked to the open bedroom door and started to knock, but Kaitlyn stopped him by saying, “go ahead, come on in, just leave the door open a little so Angus can get out if he needs to”.

The cat in question was now sitting on the left side of the headboard, his long plume of a tail almost reaching the bed. He blinked slowly at MacGyver, and it was then he realized he could hear the cat's purring from clear across the room. MacGyver turned and closed the door until there was a small opening. When he turned back around, Kaitlyn had rolled back the comforter and was getting into bed, pushing the cat's tail away from her face. Could you get the light when you're ready?” She asked.

“Sure”, MacGyver replied, then went to the other side of the bed to grab a pillow and spare blanket from the foot of the bed.

“Angus whatever your middle name is MacGyver”, Kaitlyn chided, sitting up in bed, resting her arms across her knees, “you are _not_ going to sleep on that cold, drafty, dirty floor!” She flipped back the right side of the comforter beside her. “This bed could hold a small army. We can share”. She saw his hesitation and smiled. “I trust you”.

“Okay”, MacGyver said, smiling slightly, “in that case”, he tossed the pillow back on the bed and put the blanket back, “let me get these boots off”, he sat down on the edge of the bed and began to unlace his boots. That done, he kicked off his boots and took off his socks, placing both just under the bed on his side. He stood up and began taking items out of his pockets and putting them on the small table beside the bed, then unthreaded the belt from his jeans and coiled it up and put it on the table. Then he reached over and switched off the lamp that was on the table.

“No fair, Mac”, Kaitlyn's voice carried a mock pout and she scooted under the covers. She heard his warm chuckle, and when her eyes adjusted, she could see his silhouette as he took off his shirt and put it on the bedpost at the foot of the bed, then slip under the covers beside her.

“Good night, Kaitlyn”, MacGyver said quietly, kissing her on the cheek.

“Good night, Mac”, she replied.

It was well after midnight when MacGyver awoke to a gentle tapping on his forehead. It took him a moment to realize Angus was the one patting him, and another to realize why; Kaitlyn was crying in her sleep. _Nightmare_. He reached up and touched the cat's paw. “It's ok, buddy”, he whispered, “I've got this”. He raised up on one elbow, and reached for her with his other hand. “Kait”, he said softly, “Kait, it's ok”. He gathered her into his arms as she turned to him with a muffled sob.”It's ok”, he continued. “I'm right here. You're safe”. He continued to murmur comforting words to her as he felt her calm against him.”You're safe”, he repeated. “I'm here”. In the darkness, his lips found hers and tasted the salt of her tears. This time, there was no interrupting the kiss.

  


  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for sticking with me and reading. Please feel free to leave comments and kudos, too!


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing MacGyver was aware of when he woke up the next morning was a deep,gentle rumbling near his right ear that vibrated his pillow. The next was realizing he was holding Kaitlyn as she slept, tucked into his shoulder with one arm across his chest. He opened his eyes and looked at her, then smiled. For the first time in a _very_ long time, everything felt _right_. He closed his eyes again, relishing the feeling, until he felt her stir against him. “Morning”, he said quietly.

“Mmn”, she replied sleepily. “Morning”. She awakended more and added, “what time is it?”

“A little past dawn”, he replied.

She raised her head to look at her cat, “and you didn't wake me up to get breakfast?” She asked. Her reply was a chirrup of a meow. “You must be slipping”.

“Maybe he just likes the idea of us being like this”, MacGyver said, hugging her closer. “He _is_ purring after all”.

They laid together for a few moments, then they became aware of a sound coming from somewhere else in the cabin.

“...I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts...”

“Is that--” Kaitlyn began.

“ _Jack_?”MacGyver finished.

They got up quickly and raced to see what was going on, followed by the cat.

In the kitchenette, they saw Jack, fully dressed, dancing around, spatula in one hand, singing along with the radio. “...I'm too sexy for your party, too sexy for your party, no way I'm disco dancing...”

“Jack?” MacGyver asked, trying very hard to laugh and failing.

The other man stopped in his tracks and faced the couple. “Woke up early and thought I'd make breakfast”, he said by way of explanation.

“The man can sing”, Kaitlyn said. “Who knew?”

“Please”, MacGyver added, still chuckling, “don't encourage him”.

“I've got pancakes keeping warm in the oven”, Jack continued, “bacon on the grill, and how do you like your eggs, Princess?”

“Over medium”, Kaitlyn replied, looking around the kitchen. “There's one thing missing”, she said, reaching into a cupboard and pulling out a tin. “Coffee”. She found filters and the coffee pot, then set about making a pot of coffee, She then disappeared back into the bedroom. A few moments later, she came back out, dressed in jeans and a dark grey t-shirt that had a blue building, a pentagram inside a sunburst and a yellow smiley face across the top, with the words “Keep Calm Don't Blink Call the Winchesters and Text Sherlock “ below. She was carrying the smaller of the two duffle bags they had brought, which she set down on the floor and opened. She took out a small tin and then found a saucer, opened the tin and scooped the contents onto the saucer, while Angus began a series of chirpy meows. The cat then stood on its hind legs and began pawing at the edge of the saucer. “Hang on, oh impatient one”, she said, setting the saucer on the floor next to the bowls of dry food and water. “You finish all that and maybe I can con Captain Cargo Pants into giving you some bacon”.

Breakfast was a lively affair,and when it was over, Kaitlyn stood and said, “since you were so kind to cook, I will do the washing up”. She gathered the dishes and then filled the sink with hot, soapy water. As she worked, MacGyver re-dressed and found his earpiece and put it back in his right ear.

As Kaitlyn was washing the frying pan, the trio became aware of a tune heavy on bass, piano and horns coming from somewhere within the cabin. “Oh, you have _got_ to be _kidding_ me!”Kaitlyn yelled, dropping the pan back into sink with a splash. She turned around and grabbed a nearby towel. “Could one of you grab my backpack?” She asked, “that's my phone”

“ _Peter Gunn_? Jack asked as MacGyver grabbed the backpack and brought it to her. “The Blues Brothers?”

She nodded as she took the pack and took out her phone. “Special ring tone”, she replied, pushing a spot on the phone, “Mother” she said in a mock cheerful tone, “to what do I owe this?

“Put it on speaker” MacGyver told Kaitlyn silently. She nodded and touched another button, and they all heard an older woman's voice on the other end as she set the phone on the counter between them.

“Riley”, Jack said quietly, “are you getting this?”

“Already on it”, came Riley's voice in Jack and MacGyver's ears.

“I just wanted to call my daughter and see how she was doing”, the woman continued cheerfully. “I was just checking to see if you got the package I sent for Angus”.

The two men looked at Kaitlyn, who tilted her head. “Yes, mother”, she said, “it's in his show bag”. At that moment, the cat in question jumped onto the counter and began sniffing the phone. “I was saving it for his next show”.

“Oh”, the woman sounded slightly disappointed, “I was hoping you'd let him play with it early. It's really kind of special”. She paused, “Ok sweetie, I really have to go now. I just wanted to make sure Angus got his special toy. Love you, bye-bye”. The connection dropped.

“ _Mother!_ ”Kaitlyn yelled, then pushed a section on the phone. She looked up at the men and asked, “were you able to get a trace?”

“No”, Riley replied in the men's ears. “She cut the connecton before we could finish the trace”.

Both men shook their heads no.

Kaitlyn sighed. “Why was she so concerned about a cat toy?” She asked no one in particular. She wandered off, then came back carrying a small manila envelope, which she tore open, revealing a small, colorful stuffed animal, which she let Angus sniff. “What do you think?”she asked, then added, “wait a second, there's something hard in here”. She handed the toy to MacGyver. “Feel that?" She asked.

MacGyver took the toy and began pressing various points, “Yeah”, he said after a moment, “I do”. He reached into his pocket and took out his Swiss Army knife, then looked at Kaitlyn questioningly.

“Go for it”, she said with a nod. “He's got dozens”.

“Ok”, MacGyver said, then added, “sorry buddy”, to the cat. He flipped open a small blade and began carefully cutting a seam. Once opened, he started taking out stuffing, revealing a flash drive, which he took out and examined. “Now we just need a computer”.

Kaitlyn gave him a look, then bent and reached into her backpack, pulling out a laptop. “I'm a teacher”, she said, “you think I'm going to go anywhere without my syllabus, rolls and lesson plans?” She opened the laptop and turned it on. When the desktop appeared, MacGyver plugged the flash drive into the side of the computer. After a few moments, icons began moving on their own, opening up files.Kaitlyn's hands flew away from the keyboard. “Whoa!” She exlcaimed. “What sorcery is this?!”

MacGyver chuckled. “That's our IT tech, Riley”, he said. “Don't worry, she won't mess up anybody's grades”.

The trio watched the screen in silence as file after file opened. Jack let out a low whistle. “Matty, you seeing this? He asked.

“Indeed I am”, the Director replied. “This is information we can use against the Collective”.

“I take it by your expressions”, Kaitlyn said quietly, “that this is very serious, important information”.

“Very important”, MacGyver said quietly.

“Which we now have”, Matty said. “Now all that needs to be done is--”

Her last words were not heard, because at that moment, the trio heard a cry of pain and anger outside the cabin.

“Somebody found one of your traps”, Jack said quietly, drawing his gun.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Jack is singing Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" (the song's on YouTube). As always, thanks for sticking with me and reading. Please feel free to comment (and Kudo if it's your first time here)


	7. Chapter 7

The trio went silent and ducked out of sight of any windows. “I'm going to go outside and check things out”, Jack said quietly, moving towards the door. “You two, stay down and be careful”. At their nod, he carefully opened the front door and went outside.

He had only been gone for a few moments when there was a crash at a side door and two men burst in and began to attack MacGyver. Kaitlyn looked around frantically for something to use as a weapon and found a display of cooking utensils hanging by the stove. She grabbed the first one she could, a sturdy cast iron frying pan and flew over the counter.

She was behind the man coming at MacGyver from behind, so she turned slightly and delivered a hard kick to the back of one of the man's knees, and as he fell, swung the frying pan to connect with the man's skull and sent him crumpling to the ground.

At that same moment, there was a loud yowl and an orange and white blur appeared on the other attacker's head, growling, kicking and biting. The man tried to stop the cat's attack, but was failing. He fell to his knees, yelling and flailing. MacGyver put him out of his misery with a well-aimed punch to the face.

Jack came storming back through the front door, then stopped short when he saw Kaitlyn standing between him and MacGyver, holding up the frying pan, her teal eyes blazing. “Whoa, Princess”, he said, holding up both hands, his gun still in one. “It's just me. I'm on your side, remember? I heard all hell breaking loose in here and decided it was better to leave the guy hanging by his ankles and come back”. He looked at the aftermath. “Looks like you two got it taken care of”.

“Yeah, she did Sam Gamgee proud”, MacGyver said, grinning, his own voice tinged with pride.

Kaitlyn blinked herself back to the present and slowed her breathing, her eyes slowly losing the battle fire. “I was about to go _avada kedavara_ on their ass”,she said, then added, “Angus”. She turned around to see MacGyver holding the large cat in his arms, and still smiling.

“He makes a good furry IED”, MacGyver said, petting the cat. “Good thing I was an EOD Specialist”.

Kaitlyn's expression changed from relief to shock. “You”, she asked, “you _diffused bombs_?”

MacGyver nodded. “I was stationed in Afganistan”, he said, then nodded towards Jack, “with him”.

She looked at both men as the information sunk in, then froze as the sound of many vehicles began arriving outside the cabin.

“It's ok”, Jack reassured her. “That's just the cavalry. I called Matty while I was outside”.

  


  


A short time later, law enforcement had taken over the scene, and the attackers were taken away in ambulances. In the livingroom of the cabin, Kaitlyn sat on the couch with Angus, and Matty Webber stood next to them. “I wanted to thank you personally for helping my two best assets”, she said, petting the cat. “Both of you”.

“On behalf of my cat”, Kaitlyn replied, smiling, “we thank you.” She looked down at Angus, who had his eyes closed and was purring loudly. “He likes you”.

“He's a beautiful animal”, the Director replied, smiling.”You take good care of him. Keep taking good care of him”.

Something in the woman's tone made Kaitlyn look back up at her. “We're not just talking about my cat, are we?” She asked quitely. “You have no need to worry, ma'am”, she continued solemnly. “I would never do anything to intentionally hurt him.”

“Good”, Matty said, nodding. She was about to say more, but MacGyver and Jack had come back inside.

“Nice of you two to join us”, Matty said. “The situation has been taken care of here, and Ms. MacGonagall's home is now safe to return to, so MacGyver, I want you to escort her and her feline companion home”.

“Shouldn't I go with them?” Jack said, “just in case ?”

Matty silenced him with a look, then watched as realization dawned in his brown eyes, and nodded.

“Yeah”, Jack continued, “what am I thinking? You two should be fine”, He forced a grin. “I'll just hitch a ride back with Matty”.

At that moment, Angus stood up from where he had been sitting and stretched his full length up against MacGyver with a chirruping meow and began purring.

“Yeah”, Kaitlyn said smiling as everyone chuckled, “he's ready to go home”.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through this story part by part, commented and left Kudos. I really appreciate it! And depending on how this one's received, there may be more. Thanks again everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, it's in parts again. Please feel free to comment/Kudo. Thanks!


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